Open fireplace.



No. 810,719. PATENTED JAN. 23,, 1906.

H. G. CLEAVER.

OPEN FIREPLACE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

PATENTED JAN. 23, 1906.

; N6. s1o,719.-

- H. c. GLEAVER.

0mm FIREPLACE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SEQ! 2.

W/T/IZIS'JE'S W.

A7701? IS PATENTED JAN. 23, 1906.

H. G. GLEAVER.

OPEN FIREPLACE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5, 1904.

3 SFEHTS-SHEET 3.

r 6 r Z R m 2 U/vmr/vv M n m r W M 6 Z M Z I\\ HM 4 N w [a 1 FMHHHL 7 PJ m m y w I I fi Q s ,0 n w O G Ira F F UNITED STATES PATENT orrion.

OPEN FIREPLACE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 23, 1906.

Application filed November 5, 1904. Serial No- 231,467.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD CRUNDEN CLEAVER, architect, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 3 Eden street, London, N. W., England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Open Fireplaces, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a fireplace wherein maybe burned upon an open grate fuel (such as anthracite coal) which is not liable to cake in burning.

The fireplace of my invention consists, essentially, of a forwardly-inclined open grate or apertured screen over which the burning fuel-descends by gravity, a combined hopper and chute for continuously and automatically supplying the fuel to the upper portion of the grate by gravity, a fence or kerb situated at the lower margin of the grate for limiting the descending movement of the fuel over the same, and a flue (or flues) controlled by a damper (or. dampers) or other means leading from the space beneath the grate to the chimney.

The fireplace, which is adapted to be fitted to any ordinary domestic hearth and chimneyopening designed to receive an open grate or stove, would usuallybe provided with an ash-pit situated immediately beneath the grate and accessible by the removal of either the fire-grate or the kerb, or of both, and with a ventilation door or doors leadingfrom the external open space over the grate'into the flue or chimney for the purpose of regulating the draft without closing the damper and also of permitting the discharge of the products of combustion into the chimney while the fire is in process of extinction by the com plete closure of the damper. The said door or doors serve, further, for ventilating the apartment directly into the chimney. It is to be observed that under normal conditions Fig. 2.

a, Figs. 1 and 2, represents the level of the hearth, b the front of the chimney-breast, and c the chimney. 4

d is the fuel-hopper, which is situated in the upper part of the chimney-opening, access to the interior of the hopper for the purpose of charging the same being afforded by a door, as at e.

f is the chute which leads downward from the hopper (1, so as to discharge fuel therefrom onto the upper portion of the inclined grate, and g is the fence or kerb, situated at the lower margin of the grate and resting, preferably, upon the hearth a.

h is the ash-pit, and is the flue leading from the space immediately beneath and behind the grate rearward and upward into the chimney c.

k is a damper in the flue 1', controlled by a handle Z.

The chute f and flue j are preferably situated in such proximity to one another that the fuel descending through the chute will become warmed before reaching its point of delivery, and consequently thefcombustion of the fuel upon the grate Willbe accelerated.

The inclined grate consists, preferably, of a series of transversely-extending horizontal bars m, of flattened form in cross-section, arranged with their widest sides approximately horizontal and with their external or forwardly-presented edges disposed in a plane having a forward inclination, such that the fuel, which should be supplied in a coarselypulverized condition, (the fragments being, say, about the size of walnuts,) will on escaping from the mouth a of the chute f descend over the surface of the grate until arrested by the kerb g. The body of fuel thus spread upon the grate rests as a whole against the kerb g, each. fragment of fuel supporting those immedia ely above it so that, as the fragments at a lower level become consumed, fresh fragments descend to replace them, while all the fuel consumed upon the grate is continuously and automatically replaced by fresh supplies escaping from the mouth n of the chute, the contents of which are supported by the uppermost layer or layers of fuel upon the inclined grate. The bars m are separated by interspaces 0, the width of each bar relatively to the angle of inclination of the grate being, however, such that successive bars overlap one another, and consequently while the draft can pass freely througn the interspaces to the flue j, carry,- ing with it the lighter ash, the fuel passing downward over the grate cannot dro directly between the bars into the ash-pit By the means described a self-feeding smokeless fire can be obtained on anopen Q grate with fuel of the most refractory nature and may be maintained for an indefinite length of time by merely replenishing the hopper with fuel at the necessary intervals.

The grate-bars m may be set in a frame adapted to be dropped intoposition in the fireplace, so as to be removable for the purpose of renewal and for affording access to the ash-pit h, which may be provided with a removable pan or tray 19 to receive the ash and facilitate its withdrawal. The kerb 9 may be separately removable, so as to facilitate access to and the sweeping out of the ashpit, or the kerb may be integral with the firegrate, so as to be capable of being withdrawn as one therewith. The lower end of the chute f may be supported by a transverse bearer q, of firebrick, beneath or through which the lower portion of the flue passes.

The series of grate-bars m instead of extending upward to the mouthn of the chute may be confined to the lower portion of the sloping surface over which the fuel passes on leaving the chute, the upper portion of said surface beingformed by a transverse bearer r, of fire-brick, which may be set into the same frame with the bars m so as to be removable along with the latter.

The flue may be placed at the back of the chimney-space and immediately behind the chute f, which is preferably set back from the front I) of the chimneybreast, so as to leave above the grate a coved space bounded laterally by the sides 25 t of the fireplace and at rear by the front plate u of the chute f, which extends from side to side of the fireplace. The bottom of the hopper d is of less width than the back plate u of the fireplace, the top of the coved space beyond the sides of the hopper being closed by plates '0 02, (preferably horizontal,) wherein are provided ventilationdoors w w, which lead from the coved space direct into the chimney. By opening the doors to more or less the draft passing through the fuel on the grate may be regulated without contracting the area of the flue y by means of the damper 7c. The doors w also serve as ventilators for the apartment and, further, as means whereby when the fire is in process of extinction by the complete closure of the damper 7c the products of combustion then arising from the grate may be allowed to pass into the chimney 0.

Although I have described above the preferred construction of grate, it is to be understood that I do not confine myself thereto, as the grate-bars might, for example, extend from top to bottom of the grate instead of transversely thereof or might be replaced by a plate of metal or slab of fire-brick set at the required inclination and apertured to give passage to the products of combustion.

It will be evident that more than one flue may be provided and that the flue or flues may be led in other directions than the one indicated, so as, for example, to be made to serve for heating an oven or boiler.

The descent of the fuel in the chute may be regulated by means, for example, of a door or damper, and in order to prevent the accumulation of gas or vapor within the chute and hopper the latter may be ventilated by an opening or openings communicating with the chimney.

It will be evident that the precise angle of inclination of the grate-surface may vary within certain limits. The inclination would, however, approximate to the angle of repose of the material, the condition essential to success being that the angle shall be such that, on the one hand, the fuel will descend part passu with its consumption on the grate and with the consequent removal of the support afforded to the upper fragments by those whereon they rest and that, on the other hand, the fuel shall not be permitted to descend so rapidly as to overflow the kerb.

I claim-- 1. The combination of a forwardly-inclined apertured fire-grate exposed as to its upper surface; walls bounding said grate laterally a kerb or fence at the lower extremity of the grate for limiting the descent of fuel thereover; and a flue adapted to withdraw the products of combustion from the space beneath the grate, substantially as specified.

2-. The combination of a forwardlyinclined apertured fire-grate exposed as to its upper surface; walls bounding said grate laterally; a chute adapted to continuously deliver fuel by gravity to the upper extremity of the grate; a kerb or fence at the lower extremity of the grate for limiting the descent of fuel thereover; and a flue adapted to withdraw the products of combustion from the space beneath the grate, substantially as specified.

3. The combination of a forwardly-in-' clined apertured fire-grate exposed as to its upper surface; walls bounding said grate laterally; a chute adapted to continuously deliver fuel by gravity to the upper extremity of the grate; a kerb or fence at the lower extremity'of the grate for limiting the descent of fuel thereover; a flue adapted to withdraw the products of combustion from the space beneath the grate; and a damper in said flue for regulating the draft, substantially as specified.

4. In an open fireplace, the combination of a forwardly-inclined apertured fire-grate exposed as to its upper surface and located at the lower part of the recess of a fireplace; a chute adapted to continuously deliver fuel by gravity to the upper extremity of the grate; a kerb or fence at the lower extremity of the grate for limiting the descent of fuel thereover; a flue adapted to withdraw the products of combustion from the space beneath the grate; a damper in said flue for regulating the draft; and a ventilating-door in the top wall of the recess of'the fireplace, adapted to afford access therefrom to the flue, substantially as specified.

5. An open fireplace adapted to be located in an opening of a chimney comprising a body having a recessed front, the top wall of which is provided with openings having closures therefor, a fuel-supply chute at the rear of its recessed front, a downwardly and outwardly inclined grate in the lower part of the recess of the fireplace and onto the upper rear portion of which the chute discharges, a kerb for limiting the descent of the fuel over the grate, and a flue leading from beneath and behind the grate to a chimney, substantially as described.

6. An open fireplace adapted to be located in an opening of a chimney, comprising a body having a recessed fr0nt,'the top wall of which is provided with openings, closures for said openings, a hopper in the upper art of the body, a chute leading from the ffopper and extending downward at the rear of the back of the said recessed front, a downwardly and outwardly inclined grate in the lower part of the recessed front of the fireplace and upon which the chute discharges, a kerb for limiting the descent of the fuel over the grate, and a flue leading from beneath and behind the grate and extending upwardly in rear of the chute, substantially as described.

7. An open fireplace, adapted to be inserted in an opening in a chimney, comprising a body having a recessed front, the top wall of said recess being provided with openings, doors for said openings, a hopper in the upper part of the body, the bottom of the hopper being of less width than the top of the recess of the body, a chute extending from the hopper downward in rear of the back wall of the recess of the body, a grate formed of transverse bars spaced apart and arranged in step form and upon which the chute discharges, and a flue leading from beneath the grate and extending upwardly in rear of the chute.

HOWARD CRUNDEN CLEAVER. l/Vitnesses H. D. JAMEsoN, F. L. RAND. 

